


One Last Night For Goodbyes

by maliayukimura



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alice Cooper/Hal Cooper mentioned, Angst, Canon Era, Closeted Character, Emotional Infidelity, F/F, Hermione Lodge/Hiram Lodge mentioned, Internalized Homophobia, Reunions, Unrequited Love, past relationship implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-07 21:52:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11632650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maliayukimura/pseuds/maliayukimura
Summary: She was a good Catholic girl; she wasn't supposed to be in love with her best friend. So she swallowed her feelings and hated herself for it.At least now, Alice had the upper hand in life. She had a loving husband who wasn’t in prison for embezzling charges, a happy family, and a thriving business. She got everything she ever wanted. Well at least that’s what she told herself.





	One Last Night For Goodbyes

Alice Cooper hadn't been a frequent customer of Pop’s since she was a teenager herself, but her teenage daughter went there often with her friends. Walking into the establishment was like a blast from the past.

Even with a new layer of paint, it was still the same old dinner with the same old checker-board tiles and comfy booths. She was certain that the song currently playing on the jukebox was one of the tunes that her friends and she used to listen to twenty some years ago.

The diner was definitely bringing back old memories, especially ones pertaining to a certain raven-haired beauty who recently moved back to town with her teenage daughter.

But anything that had or could have happened between them was in the past. Hermione eloped Hiram after college, letting him whisk her off to New York City - leaving Riverdale long forgotten in the rearview mirror. She got to live a perfect life with a perfect husband in the lap of luxury.

Hal was an old friend from high school who Alice reconnected with in her journalism class. She didn't love him but he was sweet to her. They had a small and intimate wedding with only close friends and family invited. Hermione didn't attend the wedding.

The two women had gone their different ways and lived very different lives.

From time to time, Alice thought about Hermione. She remember trading kisses and secrets in the dark. She wondered how her life would have turned out differently if she had been brave enough to tell Hermione how she really felt. Maybe they’d have actually gotten together instead of being each other’s dirty little secret. 

But Alice had been too scared to say anything. Any time she worked up the courage to tell Hermione how she felt about her, Alice would chicken out. She was a good Catholic girl; she wasn't supposed to be in love with her best friend. So she swallowed her feelings and hated herself for it.

At least now, Alice had the upper hand in life. She had a loving husband who wasn’t in prison for embezzling charges, a happy family, and a thriving business. She got everything she ever wanted. Well at least that’s what she told herself.

“Oh how the mighty fall,” Alice taunted, still bitter about being left behind. “Fancy seeing you here.”

The brunette spun around to face here. “Can I help you with anything?”

Seeing Hermione again sent a tidal wave of emotions through Alice. She could see the beautiful, fiery girl that she fell in love with when they were young hidden beneath lightly weathered skin and wrinkles from age. Hermione was just as beautiful as she was when they were teenagers. And even after all these years, Alice was still in love with her.

All the animosity in her washed away the second they locked eyes. Her voice softened. “It’s good to see again, Hermione.”

“It’s good to see you too, Alice,” Hermione responded, giving her a kind smile that one would give an old acquaintance.

The two women held a pleasant and civil conversation, but for Alice, it was like walking on eggshells. Hermione may have been her best friend growing up, but after all those years, the two were practically strangers.

Eventually the two parted ways. Hermione went on to serve some tables and Alice had to take her daughter home.

As she was leaving, Alice looked back longingly at Hermione one last time. In that moment, she knew nothing would ever change. She’d always be in love with Hermione, and Hermione would never return her feelings. They could never go back to the way things were when they were kids.

Sometimes it was best to leave the past in the past, no matter how much it hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> Title based off of "Turn Back Time" by Deorro  
>   
> Come find me on tumblr [here](http://www.maliayukimura.tumblr.com)


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